Accreditation

Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Juris Doctor

The Macquarie LLB and Juris Doctor are accredited with professional bodies regulating the admission of law graduates to legal practice. The Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor provides the appropriate qualification for admission to practise as a lawyer throughout Australia.

In addition to completing a law program at an accredited institution such as Macquarie Law School, the profession (via the LPAB - Legal Practitioner's Admission Board) requires all law graduates to complete a period of Practical Legal Training (PLT) including further study (Coursework Component), Continuing Professional Development Units (CPD Component) and supervised experience in a legal practice (Work Experience Component), before being admitted to practice as a barrister or solicitor. This typically takes six months to one year to complete, and usually involves options to study full-time, part-time and online through various institutions.

To be qualified as an Australian Legal Practitioner in New South Wales, a solicitor or barrister also requires a Practising Certificate issued by the Councils of the Law Society of New South Wales or the New South Wales Bar Association respectively. Similar bodies and systems of accreditation exist in the other States.

Pre-law Pathway

New students who have been admitted to a non-law degree at Macquarie University can apply for admission to the Pre-Law Pathway prior to their first session of studies if they meet the following criteria:

completed their HSC in previous year

accepted an approved single degree (such as B.Arts/B.Commerce/B.Science /B.SocSci, or Psychology) at Macquarie

has an ATAR of 93+ (minimum ATAR to be established each year). Bonus points can contribute towards this ATAR requirement.

Professional experience

At Macquarie, learning doesn't just happen in the classroom. Through our unique PACE program you can gain important industry experience in International law working with local, regional and international partners on mutually beneficial projects.

The world is at your feet. Through PACE you can add to the theoretical knowledge gained during your degree and take the first few steps towards your future career. As an International Law student you will have the opportunity to complete a clerkship, internship or placement in a range of settings - on-campus, locally, regionally and internationally.

PACE alumna Rosa Dlougatch had the opportunity to complete her PACE activity at The Hague in the Netherlands during a six-month, full-time internship at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

"I can already appreciate that my legal drafting and research skills, as well as my understanding of international criminal law, have seriously improved throughout my internship. My internship has helped give me direction in the last year of my degree, as well as practical experience which I will be able to transfer to any legal environment. It has truly been an amazing experience to be so immersed in the inner workings of an international Tribunal, and these past six months have already become a formative period for my future career." – PACE Alumna, Rosa Dlougatchworked at the UN Criminal Tribunal in The Netherlands

No matter what your circumstances and what you decide to study at Macquarie, PACE has an opportunity available for you. Learn more about the opportunities available through PACE.

Student experience

Luke Dominish

Bachelor of Laws

"At Macquarie, you don't just get a degree, but you gain experience and exposure that helps you put that degree into practice. Programs such as Global Leadership Program and Professional and Community Engagement are what separate Macquarie from other universities. They have given me the opportunity to work on projects and travel to places that I never would have thought my degree could take me."

Macquarie University Law Society (MULS)

The Macquarie University Law Society (MULS) is a representative body for all law students at Macquarie University. The Society operates to enhance the Macquarie Law degree by assisting students in personal and professional development and providing opportunities for students to participate in competitions, publications, socials and sporting events. All law students at Macquarie are members of MULS.

Our expertise in international law

Professor Natalie Klein

Dean of Macquarie Law School

Professor Klein holds a doctorate in law from Yale Law School. Prior to joining Macquarie, she worked in the international litigation and arbitration practice of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, served as counsel to the Government of Eritrea (1998-2002) and was a consultant in the Office of Legal Affairs
at the United Nations. She teaches and researches in different areas of international law, with a focus on law of the sea and international dispute settlement.

Associate Professor Carlos Bernal-Pulido

Program Convenor of the Master of Laws

Associate Professor Bernal-Pulido's research interests lie in the fields of constitutional comparative law, jurisprudence, and torts. He has published widely in all these fields in many languages on topics related to constitutional rights, constitutional change, and the intersection between legal theory
and social ontology. He teaches Foundations of Law and Jurisprudence in the Bachelor of Laws and the Juris Doctor programs. He supervises PhD and Master of Laws domestic and international students in his fields of expertise.

Macquarie Law School offers more than just a law degree

Macquarie Law School prepares you to think beyond textbooks to open the way to a world of careers. Our industry focused programs and supportive learning environment will give you the valuable skills and knowledge to achieve your career goals.

Taught in collaboration between Macquarie Law School and the Department of Modern History, Politics and International Relations, the International Law and Global Governance major provides an introduction to policy development, Australian politics in its global context, international relations and key international law and policy areas.

Interdisciplinary approach to law

Macquarie Law School has a different approach to teaching law, according to Juris Doctor Program Director Shayne Davenport.

"We see ourselves as different, not only in what we teach but how we teach as well. We are an interdisciplinary law school. We don't just look at the law from inside the law itself. We look at the law from many different aspects."

Students of Juris Doctor will explore the law, discover its origins, assess its effectiveness and consider the need for reform.

Real-world experience is incorporated into the learning as part of this degree through placements with community legal centres or joint research projects with the Law Reform Commission.

Flexible study options

Students have the option to study Juris Doctor either full time or part time, on-campus or by distance. Macquarie Law School offers the only distance education option in New South Wales.

Davenport says, "Macquarie Law School has expertise in teaching law by distance education. We've had distance education courses going for many years and this is one of the strengths of Macquarie Law School. We truly understand the needs and pressures of distance students."

Substantial content will be available online and will be complemented by weekly face-to-face seminars of intensive on-campus sessions. There is also the opportunity to accelerate the rate of completion of this degree through summer session offerings.

Careers

The Juris Doctor is accredited with professional bodies regulating the admission of law graduates to legal practice and provides appropriate qualification for admission to practice as a lawyer in NSW*.

Graduates of Juris Doctor can pursue careers as either barristers or solicitors. However, a broad range of rewarding careers are open to Macquarie Law School graduates.

Employment can be found in a wide variety of organisations, including community legal centres, diplomatic service, financial institutions, multinationals, NGO advocacy bodies and public service.

*All Australian graduates are required to complete a period of practical legal training before being admitted as barristers or solicitors.